Flash lamp assembly



Aug. 16., 1966 F R 3,267,272

FLASH LAMP ASSEMBLY Filed March 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig.7

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INVENTOR.

ARTUR FISCHER fl l/M aw/AP Aug. 16, 1966 Filed March 16, 1964 A. FISCHERFLASH LAMP ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ARTUR FISCHER i United States Patent Ofiice 3,267,272 Patented August16, 1966 3,267,272 FLASH LAMP ASSEMBLY Artur Fischer, KrcisFreudenstadt, Tumlingen, Black Forest, Germany Filed Mar. 16, 1964, Ser.No. 351,912 (Ilaims priority, application Germany, Mar. 15, 1963, F39,252 12 Claims. (tjl. Mil-1.3)

The present invention relates to flash lamp assemblies.

More particularly, the present invention relates to flash lampassemblies which are adapted to carry a plurality of flash lamps so thatit is possible to make a series of flash exposures one after the otherin a rapid sequence.

One of the more important objects of the present in vention is toprovide a flash lamp assembly which can accommodate a relatively largenumber of flash lamps in an extremely small space.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a flash lampassembly which is of an exceedingly simple and rugged construction.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a flash lampassembly which is capable of utilizing all of the flash lamps in anydesired sequence without, however, requiring the assembly to bedisconnected from a camera and remounted thereon in different positions.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide astructure wherein the operator can selectively ignite the several flashlamps in any desired sequence.

With these objects in view the invention includes, in a flash lampassembly, a wall of corrugated configuration having a pair of opposedreflecting faces and provided with recesses which alternate with eachother along the opposed faces thereof as a result of the corrugatedconfiguration of this Wall, and a plurality of lamp sockets arerespectively aligned with the recesses to support a plurality of lamps,respectively, in said recesses so that each recess and the lamp thereinforms a flash lamp unit, whereby in an extremely small arount of spaceit is possible to accommodate a relatively large number of flash lamps.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its additional objects andadvantages thereof, will be best understood from the followingdescription of specific embodiments when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of one possible embodiment of astructure according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional plan view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1 in thedirection of the arrows; and

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of another embodiment of a structureaccording to the present invention; and

FIG. 4 illustrates schematically the electric means of the embodiment ofFIG. 3 for selectively locating the lamps in the igniting circuit.

Referring now to the drawings, the structure illustrated in FIG. 1includes a housing 1 which carries at its upper side a wall 2 whichextends upwardly from the housing 1 and which is fixed thereto. Thiswall 2 has a substan tially rectangular outline, as is apparent fromFIG. 1, and in addition it will be noted particularly from FIG. 2 thatthe wall 2 is of a corrugated configuration so as to be provided with aplurality of recesses which alternate with each other along the wall 2from one end thereof toward the other end thereof, these recessesextending upwardly from the housing ll.

It is apparent from FIG. 2 that the corrugated configuration of the wall2 provides it with the recesses which alternate with each other alongthe wall 2, and the opposed faces of the wall 2 are made of a highlyreflecting construction so that each of the opposed faces of the wall 2will have the characteristics of a reflect-or. In the particular exampleillustrated in the drawings the several portions 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d of thewall 2 are flat and make right angles with each other so as to form theseveral recesses which alternate with each other along the wall 2 andwhich extend upwardly from the housing 1, as pointed out above. The wall2 can be made of metal or plastic and is preferably of a one-piececonstruction, The abutting edges 2x, 2y, 21 at the one side of the wall2 and 2v and 2w at the other side are located in a pair of parallelplanes, although it is possible for these planes which receive theopposed sets of abutting edges between the sections of the wall 2 to besituated in planes which make a slight angle relative to each other.

Inasmuch as the opposed faces of the wall 2 are highly reflecting, eachpair of portions of the wall 2, such as, for example, the portions 2aand 212 form an individual reflector, and the several recesses of theseindividual reflectors respectively receive the lamp sockets 3a3c whichare carried by the housing l and which are arranged in such a way thatthe longitudinal axes of the flash lamps 4a, 4b, 4c which are receivedin these sockets, respectively, extend parallel to the abutting edges2y, 2v, 2w, between the wall sections 2a-2d.

As is apparent from FIG. 2, each of the intermediate wall sections 2b,2c simultaneously form parts of a pair of oppositely directed individualreflectors. For example, the wall portion 2]] serves as part of areflector for the lamp which is received in the socket 3a as well as apart of the reflector which receives the lamp in the socket 3b.

For the purposes of the present invention it is not essential that thesections or portions of the wall 2 be flat and abut each other atintersections which extend along straight lines. It is perfectlypossible in accordance with the present invention to provide the wallwith a configuration which when viewed in a section similar to that ofFIG. 2 will have a wavy form, which is to say instead of sharpintersections and flat walls the walls can be curved and have theconfiguration similar to a sine wave, for example.

In order to connect the several lamps into the igniting circuit which isnot fully illustrated since it is well known, an electrical means isprovided for selectively locating the lamps in any desired sequence inthe igniting circuit. In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2 this electricalmeans includes a contact carrier 5 which can be shifted by way of a knob6 which is accessible to the operator. The knob 6 carries an index 6awhich cooperates with a stationary scale 7 for the purpose of indicatingto the operator the position of the knob 6 for placing a selected lampin the igniting circuit. The knob 6 is connected to the contact carrier5 by way of a pin 8 which extends through the horizontal slot 9 formedin the wall of the housing 1. The contact carrier 5 serves to provide anelectrical connection between a conductor 19 of the ignition circuit andone of the electrically conductive contact springs 11allc which alsoserve to form part of a structure releasably holding the lamps in theirsockets. A plurality of electrically conductive springs Ila-12crespectively cooperate with the springs Illa-11c for releasably holdingthe lamps in their sockets, and these electrically conductive springsalso from part of the electric circuit. The conductive springs 12al2care connected to the conductor 13 of the ignition circuit. Thus, byshifting the knob 6 to one of the three possible positions indicated bythe scale 7 the contact carrier 5 will place a selected one of thecontact springs Ila-11c in electrical communication with the conductorIt so that in this way when the ignition circuit is closed the selectedlamp will be ignited.

In the position of the parts shown in FIG. 1 the contact carrier 5 hasplaced the lamp 4b in the ignition circuit.

By displacing the knob 6 in the direction of the arrow a it is possibleto place, instead, the lamp 4c in the circuit, and for this purpose thecontact carrier 5 will engage the contact spring 110. However, ifdesired the knob 6 can be shifted to the left, as viewed in FIG. 1, inthe direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow a, and thus it ispossible to place the lamp 4a in the electric circuit when the contactcarrier 5 engages the springy contact 11a.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 3. Thisembodiment includes a wall 15 which is of a circular outline, and whileit would appear from a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2 that the wall 15might possibly have a larger size than the wall 2, the fact is that fora relatively small increase in size beyond that of the wall 2 it ispossible for the wall 15 to accommodatea far greater number of lampsthan the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, so that the small increase in sizeis very well accounted for by the great increase in the number of lampswhich can be accommodated. The circular wall 15 surrounds asocket-carrying means 16 which is of circular cross section and carriesa plurality of sockets for the several lamps of this embodiment. Thecircular wall 15 is also of a corrugated configuration and it will benoted that with this embodiment the corrugations extend radially so asto provide the wall 15 with alternating recesses on its opposite faces,these recesses extending radially from the central axis of the circularwall 15. As a result of this construction there will be provided aroundthe wall 15 at its opposed faces, which are highly reflecting, aconsiderable number of recesses and in the illustrated example there arefour radial recesses at each of hte opposed faces displaced with respectto each other by 90 with the four radial recesses at one face angularlyoffset by 45 with respect to the radial recesses at the other of thefaces of the Wall 15. It is possible to accommodate in the socketscarried by the support 16 at the side of the wall 15 which is directedtoward the viewer of FIG. 3 the four lamps 17a-17d, while in the socketscarried by the support 16 at the other side of the wall 15 in respect toalignment with the recesses at this other side thereof it is possible toaccommodate the lamps 17e-17h, so that for the relatively small increasein the size of the Wall 15 as com pared to the size of the wall 2 itbecomes possible to accommodate eight lamps whereas the construction ofFIGS. 1 and 2 can accommodate but three lamps. The several recessesrespectively form with the lamps therein a plurality of flash units withthe surface of each recess forming a reflector for the lamp locatedtherein. This surface of each recess is of course composed of a pair ofsurface portions, and it will be seen, for example, that the surfaceportions 15a and 151) form together a reflector for the lamp 17a.Moreover, it is apparent that the intersections 15x, 15y, 15z betweenthe several recesses extend radially. In order to place the lamps ofFIG. 3 in the ignition circuit in any selected sequence it is possibleto use the switching construction of FIG. 4. This construction includesa knob 18 which is accessible to the operator. The knob 18 carries acontact finger 22 which serves to provide an electrical connectionbetween a conductor 23 of the ignition circuit and one of the electricconductive contact springs 24a24h which also serve to form part of astructure releasably holding the lamps 1'7a17h in their sockets. Aplurality of electrically conductive springs 25a-25h respectivelycooperate with the springs 24a-24h for releasably holding the lamps intheir sockets. The conductive springs 25a25h are connected to the conductor 26 of the ignition circuit. The knob 18 carries an unillustratedindex which cooperates with an unillustrated stationary scale for thepurpose of indicating to the operator the position of the knob 18 forplacing a selected lamp in the igniting circuit. By turning the knob 18to one of the possible positions the contact finger 22 will place aselected one of the contact springs 24a2 th in electrical communicationwith the conductor 23 so that in this way when ignition circuit isclosed the selected lamp will be ignited. As a result of the angularoffsetting of the recesses at one of the faces of the wall 15 withrespect to the recesses at the other of the faces thereof each lamp haswith respect to the axis of the rotary knob 18 an angular position whichis not matched by any other lamps so that it is possible by turning theknob 18 to selected angular positions to place the lamps separately inthe ignition circuit according to any desired sequence.

Of course, structures of the type referred to above are mounted on ashoe which is carried by the camera, as is well known in the art, andfor this purpose the structures usually have at their bottom end footmembers which are received in such shoes. Therefore, after one side ofthe reflecting wall 2 or 15 has been used it is possible to remove thestructure, reverse it by and mount it again in the shoe so that theother side of the reflecting wall can be used. However, this removal andremounting of the structure is an inconvenience which can be avoided bythe structure which is shown in FIG. 3 but which can also be used forthe embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. According to this feature of theinvention the housing 19 which carries the above-described structure ofFIG. 3 rests on the foot portion 20 of the assembly, this foot portion20 being received in a shoe in a manner well known in the art, and apivot means 21 which is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 3 pivotallyconnects the housing 19 to the foot member 20 so that without removingthe foot member 20 it is possible to swing the entire assembly about theaxis provided by the pivot 21 to enable either one of the faces of thewall 15 to be used, and of course the same construction can be providedfor the wall 2. Moreover, with this construction the reflector wall canbe oriented to any desired angle with respect to the camera.

While with the structure described above the selective placing of thelamps in the ignition circuit is carried out manually, it is alsopossible to place the lamps in the ignition circuit either with anelectromagnetic structure or by the use of a suitable spring which aftera lamp is ignited will automatically place another lamp in the circuit.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types offlash lamp assemblies differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied inflash lamp assemblies for a plurality of lamps, it is not intended to belimited to the details shown, since various modifications and structuralchanges may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of thepresent invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventionand, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimd as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a flash lamp assembly, in combination, a wall of corrugatedconfiguration having opposed reflecting faces respectively provided withrecesses which alternate with each other along said wall as a result ofthe corrugated configuration thereof; a plurality of lamp sockets whichare located at said recesses for respectively supporting flash lamps insaid recesses whereby each of the said re-' 2. In a flash lamp assembly,in combination, a Wall of corrugated configuration having opposedreflecting faces respectively provided with recesses which alternatewith each other along said Wall as a result of the corrugatedconfiguration thereof; a plurality of lamp sockets which are located atsaid recesses for respectively supporting flash lamps in said recesseswhereby each of said recesses forms a reflector for the flash lampsituated within said recess, said recesses each being of an elongatedtroughshaped configuration and said sockets being respectively locatedat ends of said trough-shaped recesses for respectively support-ingflash lamps in a position extending longitudinally along said recesses,and means for supporting said wall and the sockets therewith,selectively, in a first position in which one of said reflecting facesof said wall faces in a predetermined direction and in a second positionin which the other reflecting face of said wall faces in saidpredetermined direction.

3. In a flash lamp assembly, in combination, a wall of corrugatedconfiguration having a pair of oppcsed reflecting faces and providedwith a plurality of recesses which alternate with each other along saidwall at said opposed faces thereof as a result of the corrugatedconfiguration of said wall, said wall having portions which respectivelyform parts of a pair of oppositely directed reflectors and each of saidrecesses forming a reflector for a flash lamp situated therein; aplurality of sockets respectively located at said recesses forrespectively supporting flash lamps therein, and means for supportingsaid Wall and the sockets therewith, selectively, in a first position inwhich one of said reflecting faces of said Wall faces in a predetermineddirection and in a second position in which the other reflecting face ofsaid wall faces in said predetermined direction.

4. In a flash lamp assembly for use in a camera, in combination, ahousing, a reflector wall of rectangular outline carried by andextending upwardly from said housing, said wall having opposedreflecting faces and being of a corrugated configuration which providessaid wall with elongated recesses extending upwardly from said housingand distributed therealong, a plurality of lamp sockets respectivelycarried by said housing in alignment with said recesses for respectivelysupporting flash lamps in positions situated within said recesses,respectively, and extending upwardly from said housing, and means forsupporting said housing on a camera, selectively, in a first position inwhich one of said reflecting faces of said wall faces in a predetermineddirection and in a second position in which the other reflecting face ofsaid wall faces in said predetermined direction to utilize first theflash lamps on one side of said Wall and then the flashlamps on theother side thereof.

5. In a flash lamp assembly, in combination, a wall of circularconfiguration formed with radial corrugations distributed about saidwall and providing the latter with elongated radial recesses whichalternate with each other at the opposed faces of said wall around thelatter, said opposed faces of said wall being highly reflecting so thateach of said recesses forms a reflector, and inner, circularsocket-carrying means surrounded by said wall and carrying a pluralityof sockets respectively aligned with said recesses for respectivelysupporting lamps which extend radially from said inner socket-carryingmeans respectively along said recesses in the interiors thereof.

6. In a flash lamp assembly, in combination, a wall of corrugatedconfiguration having opposed reflecting faces and provided by thecorrugated configuration with a plurality of recesses which alternatewith each other along said wall at the opposed faces thereof, aplurality of lamp sockets respectively aligned with said recesses forrespectively supporting flash lamps in said recesses so that each flashlamp and recess in which it is located forms a flash lamp unit, anelectrical circuit, electrical means for selectively connecting flashlamps respectively carried by said sockets in any desired sequence intosaid circuit so that the flash lamps in said sockets can be ignited in aselected sequence, and means for supporting said Wall and the socketstherewith, selectively, in a first position in which one of saidreflecting faces of said wall faces in a predetermined direction and ina second position in which the other reflecting face of said wall facesin said predeter mined direction to utilize first the flash units on oneside of said wall and then the flash units on the other side thereof.

7. In a flash lamp assembly, in combination, a wall of corrugatedconfiguration having opposed reflecting faces and provided by thecorrugated configuration with a plurality of recesses which alternatewith each other along said wall at the opposed faces thereof, aplurality of lamp sockets respectively aligned with said recesses forrespectively supporting flash lamps in said recesses so that each flashlamp and recess in which it is located forms a flash lamp unit, anelectrical circuit, electrical means for selectively connecting flashlamps respectively carried by said socket in any desired sequence intosaid circuit so that the flash lamps in said sockets can be ignited in aselected sequence, said electrical means including a shiftable contactcarrier which can be selectively shifted to positions respectivelyconnecting said flash lamps into the circuit, and means for supportingsaid wall and the sockets therewith, selectively, in a first position inwhich one of said reflecting faces of said wall faces in a predetermineddirection and in a second position in which the other reflecting face ofsaid wall faces in said predetermined direction to utilize first theflash units on one side of said wall and then the flash units on theother side thereof.

8. In a flash lamp assembly, in combination, a wall of corrugatedconfiguration having opposed reflecting faces and being provided by saidcorrugated configuration with a plurality of recesses which alternatewith each other along said wall at the opposed faces thereof; aplurality of lamp sockets respectively aligned with said recesses forrespectively supporting lamps therein so that each recess and lamptherein forms a flash lamp unit; a foot member adapted to receive in ashoe which is carried by a camera; and support means supporting saidwall and said sockets therewith for turning movement on said foot memberso that without removing said foot member from the camera shoe it ispossible to turn said wall and the sockets therewith through to utilizefirst one side of said wall and then the other side thereof.

9. In a camera assembly, in combination, a camera unit; a flash lampunit including a plurality of lamp sockets and corresponding reflectormeans directed at least partly in opposite directions and including alsoa supporting portion located exclusively on one side of said lampsockets and corresponding reflector means so that the same are freelyaccessible at least from said opposite directions, said supportingportion having a free side located opposite said one side thereof anddirected toward said camera unit; intermediate support means forsupporting said flash lamp unit on said camera unit and arrangedexclusively between said free side of said supporting portion of saidflash lamp unit and said camera unit; attaching means detach-ablyconnecting said intermediate support means in said position to one ofsaid units in such a manner that said intermediate support means may beconnected to and disconnected from said one unit solely by movement ofsaid intermediate support means relative to said one unit; and pivotingmeans connecting said intermediate support means in said positionthereof to the other of said units turnably about a pivoting axis whichis substantially aligned with said attaching means, whereby said flashlamp unit is turnable relative to said camera unit between said oppositedirections with said reflector means fully accessible from at least saidopposite directions and is also removable from said camera unit,whenever desired.

10. In a camera assembly according to claim 9, said attaching meanscomprising cooperating projection means and groove means, one of saidtwo last mentioned means being located on said one unit and the otherthereof being located on said intermediate support means.

11. In a camera according to claim 9, said reflector means comprising aWall of corrugated configuration having reflecting faces and beingprovided by said corrugated configuration with a plurality of reflectingrecesses directed at least partly in said opposite directions, said lampsockets being respectively aligned with said reflecting recesses forrespectively supporting lamps therein so that each reflect ing recessand lamp therein forms a flash lamp structure, said attaching meansincluding a shoe and a foot member adapted to be detachably received insaid shoe.

12. In -a camera assembly according to claim 11, said pivoting meansbeing adapted for turning movement about at least 180 so thatWit-houtremoving said foot member from said shoeit is possible to turn saidflash lamp unit about said pivot means to utilize consecutively each ofsaid fiashlamp structures and, Whenever desired, to remove said flashlamp unit from said camera unit by disengagement of said shoe and saidfoot member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 720,935 2/ 1903Kliegl 240-103 1,247,454 11/1917 Rizer 240-103 X 1,848,734 3/1932 Luce24041.36 X 1,956,630 5/1934 Shaw 240-9 2,622,188 12/1952 Seeger et al.240-13 3,096,025 7/ 1963 Prochnow 240-l.3

FOREIGN PATENTS 166,025 5/ 1950 Austria.

922,386 1/ 1947 France.

858,236 12/1952 Germany.

371,243 4/ 1932 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Boheme et al.: German application 1,148,448, printedMay 9, 1963.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

J. F. PETERS, ]R., Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A FLASH LAMP ASSEMBLY, IN COMBINATION, A WALL OF CORRUGATEDCONFIGURATION HAVING OPPOSED REFLECTING FACES RESPECTIVELY PROVIDED WITHRECESSES WHICH ALTERNATE WITH EACH OTHER ALONG SAID WALL AS A RESULT OFTHE CORRUGATED CONFIGURATION THEREOF; A PLURALITY OF LAMP SOCKETS WHICHARE LOCATED AT SAID RECESSES FOR RESPECTIVELY SUPPORTING FLASH LAMPS INSAID RECESSES WHEREBY EACH OF THE SAID RECESSES FORMS A REFLECTOR FOR AFLASH LAMP SITUATED WITHIN SAID RECESS, AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAIDWALL AND THE SOCKETS THEREWITH, SELECTIVELY, IN A FIRST POSITION INWHICH ONE OF SAID REFLECTING FACES OF SAID WALL FACES IN A PREDETERMINESDIRECTION AND IN SECOND POSITION IN WHICH THE OTHER REFLECTING FACE OFSAID WALL FACES IN SAID PREDETERMINED DIRECTION.